Amazing hike! We had fantastic weather which made this a moderate hike. The views just keep getting better. Love everything about it.
The varying terrain made the Tongariro Alpine Crossing a very interesting hike. We started by walking through volcanic rock, the debris scattered from an eruption. The path then crossed the floors of craters where the ground felt spongy, bringing us close to the stunning crater lakes whose water levels rise and fall depending on the rain and snow. We climbed steeply up through fine, slippery volcanic scree that was sneaky enough to trip us a few times, and we had to carefully step and slide down during the summit descent. Next, we moved into volcanic fields where the low vegetation gave the landscape colors of rust, tan, and yellow. We finished the last few miles walking through a forest, which provided filtered sun and shade. We ended the day with a strong feeling of accomplishment and extreme gratitude.